For those who don't know MAX/MSP is a pimpin programming environment which can be used to process midi and audio in all kinds of previously unthinkable ways. People also use this program to control lighting rigs, networked computers, and in some cases even smart houses.
The thing you've got to remember is that MAX is a programming environment. When Opcode licensed it from Cycling '74 they packaged it as a musical software program and sold it. I couldn't believe they didn't build more core objects such as midi sync modules, BPM translaters for sequencers, and better sync support for interface w/ standard sequencers. I had to construct objects containing 20 objects and various variables just to get certain time code in and out of the program. Usually what I think you find are various software engineers/people with enough time on their hands/programming tolerance to sit around and understand the whole program. After that they educate others on it's operation and assist with basic module construction. Not that hard really. I have some people who wanted to pay me to sit around and learn it. Don't think it'll go down quite that way, but I would probably require payment in order to sit around and learn that beast from scratch. Other gripes...MAX uses Opcodes "Time Stamper" technology. This passes basic midi clock and time code on from a sequencer via OMS to MAX. Unfortunately the only sequencer to date which uses Time Stamper is Opcodes Studio Vision Pro. And if you know what's up Opcode MAY be ill ill fated thanks to World Dominance fantasizing guitar mongers Gibson. Anyways, there may be work arounds to this time code issue, but when I asked the head of an electronic music dept. out in a cali university (friends w/ David Z., inventor of the prog.) for help I received several pages of straight code, and lots of weird SMPTE routing in and out of interfaces, along with a humble "I'm not really sure if this will work". Again, I know the program can be beautiful, but it sure helps to have people around you who truly understand it! My buddy goes to the Expression School for New Media out in San Fran and he says although they have MAX around the school he can't find a single instructor or student using it for midi/audio. It's controlling intelligent light set-ups and what not!! MSP is MAX's audio set of objects for processing samples ala autechre and various experimental sounding crews. The whole set-up is great, and I challenge anyone to get into it. Someday I will probably finally integrate it into my set-up. In the meantime I'll tell anyone who wants to attempt to grapple with it what I know, hand them the 1100 pages of printed manual I have, and let them go to town! Peace - DBIT "check out the new Live Wire Records release from Detroit, MI, arriving in stores March 2001" Previews online @ http://www.music-in-formation.com/livewirerecords/
